A STOWAWAY was found dead inside the landing gear of an American Airlines plane after it touched down.
The grim discovery was made at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, North Carolina, at around 9am local time on Sunday morning, police said.
GettyThe body of a stowaway was found in the landing gear of an American Airlines plane[/caption]
Airport staff were carrying out routine maintenance on the plane, which had recently arrived from Europe.
It was during this procedure that they came across the body in the landing gear compartment.
The person was pronounced dead at the scene by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers.
A spokesperson for American Airlines said they were “working with law enforcement on its investigation”.
Anyone with information should call 01-704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a detective.
People can also leave information anonymously by calling Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 01-704-334-1600.
Last year, a Russian woman managed to stowaway on a plane from New York to France unnoticed – until the plane landed.
Svetlana Dali, 57, allegedly breached several layers of security at the John F Kennedy airport on November 30 to get onto Delta Flight 264 bound for Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
The Russian national hid in the bathroom before she was snared by a flight attendant shortly before the plane touched down back in December.
She was detained in France before she was placed on a flight back to the US.
Footage from another passenger showed the moment Dali was escorted back on to a flight heading to JFK airport in New York.
It was the second attempt to return her – after the first failed because she became disruptive.
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GettyAmerican Airlines said they were assisting police with their investigation[/caption]